


Amaryllis

by LumenWatch



Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Masochism, Physical Abuse, Sadism, Triggers, alternative universe, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-05-07 20:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19217353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumenWatch/pseuds/LumenWatch
Summary: Set in an AU created by @dixbolik-lovers on Tumblr, in which the boys are ordinary humans who are sent to live with the sadistic daughter of the vampire king. Rating may go up.Extract:“And finally, perhaps the most damning of all,” she said casually, as though she hadn’t been choking the life out of him only moments before. “I have very, very sharp fangs,” a grin revealed her teeth and even through his swimming vision, Shin could see that they looked deadly. “And now, Tsukinami Shin, you’re about to find out what I use them for.”





	1. Blood and Peaches

**Author's Note:**

> This AU belongs to @dixbolik-lovers on Tumblr. A link to their blog can be found here: https://dixbolik-lovers.tumblr.com/  
> Please check it out, their writing is simply amazing. I cannot thank them enough for letting me post this and giving me the inspiration to write it in the first place. Expect the boys to be a little softer than their canon selves as they’re no longer the ones with the power.  
> Also if you haven't looked at the tags already, warning, this story is going to contain dark themes and depictions of violence.

“Is this really the right place?” Shin asked, eyeing up the imposing mansion that stood before him and his brother. There was nothing wrong with the building per say, aside perhaps from a large and vaguely unkempt wisteria plant curling up one side of it. The odd thing, however, was that not a single light was visible from the outside, even though the sky had long since turned dark.

“It should be,” Carla muttered, his own suspicion at the place clear.

It seemed surreal, only two days earlier they’d been seated around their small dining room table, when a knock at the door revealed a man  Carla could vaguely remember from a couple of family and business gatherings in the distant past. He’d introduced himself as Karlheinz, a prominent businessman and the husband of their late cousin, before making them an offer they could ill afford to refuse. And now, Carla was beginning to feel the weight of that decision.

 “Damn, there’s not even any signal here.” Shin shoved his phone back into his pocket, attempting to balance their luggage using his other arm as he did so.

Carla glanced back down the gravel path, looking for the sleek black car that had transported them here but the only thing visible in the distance was an empty road. All they were left with was the entrance to the place that was supposed to be their new home.

There was no knocker on the dark wooden door and so Carla settled for rapping his knuckles against it. The sound was loud and clear but it seemed to draw no response. He knocked again, flickering through their options should no one answer. Unfortunately they were severely limited. For a moment nothing happened and Carla began to contemplate the very real possibility that they would have to walk along the side of the road until they could find the closest town.

Suddenly, the door to the mansion swung open and Carla peered at it for a minute, waiting for someone to step forward and usher them into building but no one appeared. Stepping inside, he searched for any signs of life and found none. While the entrance hall was decorated in a grand fashion, not too dissimilar to the one from their old home, there was no one in sight.

Shin came after him, dumping their luggage on the ground as soon as he was over the threshold.

“Oi, is anyone there?” He called before muttering, “don’t tell me the door just opened on its own.”

“Hmm…” The lack of a reception was rude but the vibe surrounding the mansion made the situation downright unsettling. It felt too much like a set up. Were he still a wealthy heir, Carla might have had cause for concern, but as matters stood, there was little anyone could gain from him. “We should see if -“ Carla broke off abruptly, hunching over as coughs racked his body.

“Shit!” Shin was at his side in an instant, guiding him to one of the plush seats by the wall. “Where’s your medication?” He said, his tone alarmed, but Carla only shook his head in response. He’d already taken enough medication for today, far more than he was supposed to and it was ultimately of little use. For all the pills they could prescribe him, no doctor, in the two years since the symptoms had first appeared, had actually been able give him a proper diagnosis.

Shin was just as much at his wits’ end as Carla himself, perhaps more so given that he was the only one left to take care of him when the flare-ups were at their worst.

They sat there for a few moments, Carla’s coughs the only sound audible in the large empty mansion. Shin curled his fists in frustration, he couldn’t take just sitting there, being unable to do anything. As soon as the fit had seemed to reach something of an end, he shot to his feet.

“The hell with this, I’m going to go and find someone.”

Carla thought for moment, before nodding. They would get nowhere if they stayed in the entrance hall all night, and as much as he knew it would be faster for them to split up and search for the house’s occupant separately, a tremble lurked in his limbs and he hated his younger brother seeing him so unsteady on his feet.

Just as Shin started to walk further into the house, Carla called out to him.

“Shin, don’t cause any unnecessary trouble.”

“Fine, I’ll be quick.” And with that he disappeared into the mansion’s dark halls.

* * *

 

Growing increasingly frustrated, Shin scowled as he came upon another dead end. Not only did this place seem to be devoid of any sort of inhabitants, but its corridors formed some twisted sort of maze as well. Turning back the way he came, the male shivered slightly as he walked through the unfamiliar halls, his light summer clothes doing nothing against the chill that hung in the air of the mansion.

This was beyond weird. He and Carla had agreed that Karl’s offer seemed suspicious but they were behind on rent for their cramped city apartment and it seemed that they had little left to lose. It’d been well over a year since they’d fallen into ruin, their father vanishing with what small amount of wealth remained and their mother passing soon after. With Carla’s illness, it hadn’t seemed their luck could get much worse, however now, in a strange mansion full of mostly poorly lit hallways, the crumby apartment didn’t seem so bad.

Something cold brushed against his hand and Shin flinched away from it, turning to find the perpetrator. All that greeted him was an empty corridor. A shiver ran down his spine. Shin was not easily scared, but there was something deeply wrong here. He should have spat in Karl’s face the moment he’d turned up on their doorstep. That man was a snake, he should have known that nothing good could come out of he and his brother involving themselves with him.

Just as he’d convinced himself to return to the entrance hall and get himself and his brother out of the creepy old mansion, a cold breath fanned over his ear and Shin felt his heart stop dead. Daring to look out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t decide whether he was relieved or horrified that he couldn’t see anyone there. A dark chuckle echoed from his other side and Shin felt his nerves fraying. He needed to get out of this creepy as hell corridor. Now.

A door slammed shut at the end of the hall, the sound making him jump. Shin turned to go back the way he’d come and halted in his tracks. The hallway leading back to the entrance hall was cloaked in darkness. While the lighting in this place had thus far been dim at best, he didn’t remember having to walk through a pitch black corridor to reach this part of the house. His heart hammered like a drum inside his chest, this was like something out of an overly clichéd horror film.

Another bang sounded from the other end of the corridor and Shin whipped his head around to find yet more empty space. Someone was fucking with him, but even as he told himself that, it didn’t stop the tremor from entering his legs.

Just when he decided to venture through the darkness back to his brother, the lights in the corridor went out, plunging him into blackness.

He yelped in surprise and blindly grabbed the handle of the nearest door. Shin swung it open in a panic, barrelling into the room and slamming the door shut behind him. He even turned the lock for good measure. It was pathetic to be jumping at shadows but he couldn’t shake the hideous feeling curling in his gut.

As his heartbeat slowed, Shin examined the contents of the room, he’d entered. It was well lit compared to the dim corridors and a fire roared in the hearth, keeping the chill that seemed to permeate the rest of the mansion at bay. The bed was quite possible the grandest he’d ever seen, including from the time before his family had lost their fortune. Fine quality, dusty pink sheets patterned with black roses were draped over the king-sized mattress, a matching canopy hanging over it.  A plate of freshly sliced white peaches lay on a bedside table, along with a steaming cup of tea and a half read book that been casually left open to the side. This room was lived in, he realised, the question was, where was its occupant?

“Do you make a habit of entering young women’s bedrooms while they’re in the middle of bathing?” A feminine voice tinged with amusement spoke from the other side of the room.

Shin looked towards the source and found a woman standing in the doorway of what must have been an adjoining bathroom. She was tall and slender, the white fluffy robe she wore reaching just above the knee. Wisps of dark brown hair framed a pale face, with the rest being pinned up in a messy bun. Stunning, he thought absently, she was utterly stunning. And then he remembered who and where he was and shut off that particular train of thought immediately.

“Who are you?” He demanded, slightly furious that he and his brother had been left to linger in the entrance hall, while the mansion’s inhabitant had apparently been lounging in her bedroom eating peaches.

The female blinked at him. “Given that you appear to have locked yourself in _my_ bedroom, I’d think it more fitting that you introduce yourself first.”

He didn’t want to admit that she had a point but he was all too aware of the bathrobe slowly slipping down her shoulder, revealing some of her chest. It was an effort not to stare and so he focused on his anger instead.

“I’m Tsukinami Shin. My brother and I were sent here by a man named Karlheinz,” he practically spat the name out. “Now who the hell are you?”

“Kuronagi Seiren,” the girl replied, slowly walking towards him. Something about the way she moved set his nerves on edge. It reminded him of the way a predator would stalk towards its prey. “Tsukinami, huh? Ah, my father did mention that some boys were coming to live here but he failed to inform me that you would be arriving today. My apologies, I’ll have someone get the rooms ready.” She extended a hand. “If you’re going to live here then I suppose we’d best get acquainted, unusual introduction aside.” A smile flashed across her face and for a moment Shin could have sworn he got a glance of too sharp teeth. He took her hand and nearly flinched the moment he touched her skin. It was ice cold in spite of the warmth of the bedroom. That awful feeling he’d had in the corridor came back full force and he felt the sudden urge to rush out the room, in spite of the questions he still wanted answered.

Slender fingers gripped his hand with a surprising strength and pulled him so that he was standing right in front of her. She was only an inch or so shorter than him and it meant her lips were in distractingly close proximity to his.

“Is something wrong, Tsukinami Shin? You look a little troubled,” she asked in a low voice, cold breath fanning over him.

“It’s nothing,” he replied hastily, trying to step away. Pretty as she may be, he didn’t want to touch her. Some gut instinct screamed at him that there was something horribly wrong with the beautiful girl who had freezing cold skin and too bright grey eyes.

Her grip on his arm remained strong however, and no matter how hard he pulled, she didn’t let go.

“Interesting,” she muttered, expression changing from one of false concern to curiosity. “Most humans aren’t quite this aware but you’re in a real hurry to get away from me, aren’t you? A lot of men would be falling over themselves to be in your position right now.”

Shin didn’t want to diagnose everything that was wrong with that statement.

“Let go,” he barked, curling his other hand into a fist. He was not above hitting a woman if he needed to, even though it was already a dent to his pride that he couldn’t simply wrench himself free.

She ignored his remark completely and continued to examine him with those big grey eyes. “I don’t think it’s because you’re prudish, not with the way your eyes keep glancing towards my chest. No, you can sense something, can’t you? Interesting, very interesting.”

“I told you to let go!” He swung his fist towards her gut and, at the same time, yanked his arm back with as much strength as he could muster. Before Shin could process what had happened, he was on the floor, his arm being wrenched behind his back.

“My, my, how feisty,” she breathed into his ear, her weight pressing down on him. “Don’t you know it’s generally frowned upon to hit a poor, defenceless woman.” Her voice dragged on the last few words.

“Get off of me!” Shin twisted fiercely underneath her, panic truly starting to set in. Every part of him was screaming that he needed to get away. Now, now, now.

“Oh no, let’s not have any of that,” Seiren said as though scolding a small child. She twisted his arm until he cried out from the pain. How could she be so strong?

“You!” He spat, only stilling to spare any further agony from lancing through his shoulder. “Just what the hell are you?”

“Do you feel like having a guess? Perhaps I’ll let you go if you get it right.” Frigid fingers trailed over the back of his neck, sending a shudder down his spine.

“Quit trying to play games with me! Just let go of me already, you damn bitch!” But the angry words were just to cover up his fear. This had to be a dream. There was no way he was being pinned to the ground by a slight woman who was so cold she might as well be dead.

“Now that,” Seiren twisted his arm further and a sickening pop rang out as she did. Shin howled in response to the pain. “Just won’t do. I won’t tolerate that sort of language towards me.” Her voice had changed from being full of amusement to something cold and hard. “Remember this pain, the next time you think it’s a good idea to address me in such a way. Now as for what I am…”

Her weight vanished from him for a moment before Shin was lifted from the floor and tossed onto the bed as though he weighed barely anything at all. Pained lanced through his shoulder at the impact and he hissed out a curse through his teeth.

“Really it shouldn’t be that hard to work out, so let’s sort through the clues, shall we? Firstly, I live in a big, dark mansion and I’m awake even though it’s the dead of night. Secondly-” she wrapped her hand lightly around his throat “-my skin is as cold as death itself. And then, there’s my physical strength, which is far far greater than yours.” Her hand tightened around his throat and Shin immediately began scrabbling at her hands. He couldn’t breathe. Although his fingernails scrapped against her skin, she didn’t let go and if anything she only squeezed harder. Just when he thought he might pass out, she released him and he took deep gasping breaths.

“And finally, perhaps the most damning of all,” she said casually, as though she hadn’t been choking the life out of him only moments before. “I have very very sharp fangs,” a grin revealed her teeth and even through his swimming vision, Shin could see that they looked deadly. “And now, Tsukinami Shin, you’re about to find out what I use them for.” Seiren leaned down over him he felt her mouth against his neck. Too weak from oxygen deprivation to try to struggle, Shin could only lie there as she slid her fangs into his skin. Pain sliced through his neck, hot and heavy. And then she was sucking on the wound, eagerly lapping up the blood that welled up from his flesh.

Seiren pulled her fangs from him, running her tongue, warmed by his blood, over the puncture wounds she’d left behind.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” He desperately tried to push her off with his good arm as she leaned in for another bite but he might as well have been pushing against a brick wall. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to cry out in pain or frustration at being so utterly helpless. And then her fangs were piercing him once again and he couldn’t think of anything at all. Shin wasn’t sure how long he lay there for, being fed from by some ungodly monster dressed in the skin of a pretty girl. Long enough that his vision began to swim and a soft ringing could be heard in his ears.

Panic surged at the thought that she might have robbed him of enough blood to kill him. But it remained trapped inside his chest as his limbs lay motionless at his sides. They felt so unbearably heavy, more like they were made of stone than flesh. When he was almost sure she’d gorged herself so much that there couldn’t be any more blood left in his veins, Seiren finally moved away from his neck.

“Well,” she whispered conspiratorially into his ear, “have you worked out what I am yet, human?”

“Vampire…” He wheezed as darkness claimed his vision. The last thing he saw was Seiren’s answering smile, revealing fangs still red from his blood. And then there was nothing at all.

* * *

 

Seiren rose from her bed and walked over to her bedside table. It was unlike her father to fail to give her exact dates, and she’d been rather caught off guard to find a rogue human wandering the halls. Still, she’d certainly been able to have some fun with him. Unfortunately however, she thought as she glanced at the still full teacup, it meant her tea had gone cold. Glancing back to her bed, a smirk formed on her lips. As lovely as it was to start the day with tea, it was far nicer to start it with blood. It’d been a while since she’d fed too, and the remaining blood on her lips tasted all the sweeter for it.

Reaching for a slice of peach, she mused over what to do with her new guest. He’d mentioned a single brother, which meant there must be one more human lurking in some other part of the house. If she remembered correctly, the letter from her father had mentioned thirteen boys, so it appeared they would be arriving separately.

However, Seiren was in a good mood and dealing with that could wait.

“Ah, is there anything better than starting the day with blood and peaches?” She asked, popping the sliver of fruit into her mouth.

A cold gaze swept over the unconscious boy on her bed. “You know, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun together, Shin.”


	2. Spoils of Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait, this took forever. Chapter 3 will turn up at some point, I just don’t know when as real life is keeping me very busy!

It was not often Carla felt nervous, but as time stretched on and Shin failed to make a reappearance, a distinct sense of anxiety descended upon him. Coupled with the already unsettling air of the mansion, it was enough to make his stomach twist as he tried to think of plan of action.

Even if they could find somewhere with phone reception, it wasn’t like there was anyone they could call aside from Karlheinz, the man who’d led them here in the first place. His thoughts trailed the same paths over and over as his eyes traced the patterns in the carpet, trying to find something he’d missed, anything they could use.

“My sincerest apologies for keeping you waiting.”

Carla jerked his head up in surprise at the female voice coming from directly in front of him. Before him was a young women who could be no older than himself, dressed in a crisp black shirt with a short, pink and black checked skirt; definitely not a member of staff.

He hadn’t heard anyone approach him and that she could get this close to him without his notice… Was his illness playing tricks on him?

“Oh, did I startle you? Then, being in a creepy old mansion like this does tend to set one on edge, doesn’t it?” She offered him a polite smile that Carla made no effort to return.

“I suppose.” He stood to his full height and gave her an assessing glance. Surely she was too young to be the business contact Karlheinz had spoken of, or the proprietor of such a grand house, but then appearances could be deceiving. “And you are?”

“My name is Kuronagi Seiren and I suppose you could say I’m the owner of this mansion. I knew I’d be having house guests but I was misinformed as to the date, so I was unprepared for your arrival. But er…” She made an effort of looking around the entrance hall. “I thought there would be two of you.”

“Yes, myself and my younger brother. When no one greeted us, he went in search of someone. You haven’t seen him?” Carla tried to keep any trace of concern out of his voice. If Shin hadn’t found anyone, he should have returned by now.

“No, I haven’t I’m afraid. I shouldn’t worry though; it’s a large house so he could easily be lost or even still looking for someone. The mansion is a little understaffed, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d gone this long without finding someone.” Seiren offered him a reassuring smile. “I tell you what, why don’t I give you a tour of the place and we can look for him at the same time?”

“Hm, I suppose.” Something still felt off, but there was little he could about it. At least this confirmed the place hadn’t simply been abandoned.

“Good, someone will fetch your bags,” she said with a dismissive wave towards their luggage, before turning to walk down one of the many hallways leading off from the entrance hall. Carla fell into step behind her and she turned back slightly to look at him. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

“Tsukinami Carla,” he replied simply.

“Hm, Carla? That name’s German in origin I believe, an interesting selection on your parents’ part.”

“My mother’s family hail from Germany, it was her choice,” Carla said, before quickly shutting off that train of thought. It wasn’t something he wanted dwell on, especially not now.

“I see,” Seiren said before turning back to the corridor. “On the first floor, we have the dining hall, the kitchen, the living room…” She continued to list off rooms and point out various doorways an she led him around the grand estate. 

Carla paid only a moderate amount of attention, more intrigued by the large number of paintings decorating the hallways than anything else, a collection that certainly rivaled his own from before they fell into ruin and impressive enough that it allowed him to forget the unnerving aura surrounding the place.

Seiren appeared to notice his interest, as when they started a tour of the second floor, she paused in front a spectacular piece portraying a castle build from pale stone, dyed a soft pink by the light of a vibrant red moon hanging in the sky. “You have interest in art, I take it?”

“Yes, you certainly have quite the assortment.” He looked over the painting, scanning over the texture of the brush strokes, how the artist had used them. The warmth of the pink and reds against the midnight blue sky.

“Ah indeed, I’m something of a collector. A lot of the paintings here are very special.” Seiren’s voice was wistful as she trailed a finger over the thick layers of paint. 

“This one here, for example, is the only remaining work of the artist. The others were all destroyed in a fire sometime after his death. A pity, he was quite skilled, but then it does make this piece all the more unique. The spoils of tragedy, I suppose.” Her lips quirked in amusement as she spoke. “Anyway, we should be getting on, I’ll show you to your room,” she said, turning back to the corridor.

Carla spared the painting one last glance before following. The artist was indeed talented, and now that he knew what had happened to the rest of his legacy, the artwork seemed to take on a melancholy air. Even the red of the moon looked duller, the color closer to that of partially dried blood. It was uncomfortable enough that he turned away, keen to leave the picture behind.

“Most of the rooms on this floor are unused, but I’ve put you and your brother next to each other. This one’s yours.” Seiren paused in front a dark wooden door and opened it, allowing Carla to look inside.

The room was certainly better than the one he’d become accustomed to. The space was furnished with heavy wooden furniture and thick, plush, dark red fabrics covered the bed. The finery of it was enough to remind him of what they’d lost once more. What they needed to regain.

“Is something wrong?” Seiren asked, and Carla turned to look at her.

“How did you come to own all of this?” The girl’s wealth was clear but Kuronagi was not a name he was familiar with and Carla was well versed in who was who in the upper echelons of the business world.

“Ah, well my father purchased this mansion for me and has allowed me to do with it as I please for the most part. He was the one who informed me you would be coming to live here, but you won’t be meeting him during your stay, he’s a very busy man. ” Although there was more Carla wanted to ask, Seiren gave him no room for any further questions, turning instead to the next door along the corridor.

“And this,” she said, pushing it open, “is your brother’s room. Would you care to take a look?”

Carla approached but stopped dead in front of the door, the air in his throat turning suffocatingly thick as he caught sight of what lay within.

Hanging from the frame, suspended by his wrists, was Shin. He appeared unconscious with his head hanging down and his legs limp, like a marionette whose strings had been cut. 

That alone was enough to make Carla feel sick, but the most horrifying detail was the wounds littering his younger brother’s body. Shin’s shirt had been ripped clean from him, revealing bloody puncture marks covering his neck and shoulders and one of his arms was twisted at an uncomfortable angle.

For a moment, Carla stood frozen in horror as he scrambled to process the situation. Something hard slammed into his back with enough force that he was sent sprawling onto the floor. It was only instinct that had his hands brace his fall, palms stinging as he just stopped his face from colliding with the carpet. A dark chuckle came from above him and Carla looked up to find Seiren giving him a wicked smile.

“What an excellent expression! I really should have taken the time to set up a camera.” Her tone had changed from the polite, mild one she’d used with him earlier, now it was full of sick amusement.

“You! What is the meaning of this?” Carla cursed his sickness as he struggled to get to his feet, the action requiring far more effort than it should have. 

Shin was strong, he knew how to handle himself for the most part, so how could a lone woman overpower him and inflict that much damage so easily? There wasn’t a scratch on her. He could only conclude she’d had help, but he had yet to see any trace of anyone else in the mansion. Something icy crept through his veins and it was only years of behaving as the perfect heir that kept him from showing it.

Seiren chuckled and placed a foot flat on his back, pushing him back to the floor. ”Why don’t you use your imagination and try to figure it out? It’s a bit more fun that way.”

Carla grit his teeth at the humiliation of being forced to the ground, he tried to move away from her but she simply applied more pressure until his torso was being pressed into the carpet. “Release me and explain yourself,” he barked. Even though he was in no position to give orders, it was not in his nature to cower or beg.

“You are a curious pair, aren’t you? I thought your brother behaved in an overly self-important manner for a mortal but it seems it runs in the family. Tell me, you come from wealth, don’t you?” Carla twisted around to look at her and found her staring down at him with a faint curiosity. “It’s always amused me the way humans think that having a certain amount of money entitles them to respect, as though they were ever more than chattel to begin with.”

Fear gripped him as he stared up at those bright grey eyes. He was not used to being at another’s mercy and the way she spoke about them… Current assets aside, Carla was still his father’s heir, he had more dignity than this; being trodden on and treated like a curiosity had his temper flare but it was quickly being smothered by a sense of panic at his own helplessness. He glanced towards his younger brother, the taste of bile coating his tongue as he took in the sight of him once more.

“What- What are you?” It took everything he had to keep his voice steady. No mere girl should be able to keep him pinned like this, even with his ill health. And no matter how much his rational mind tried to explain it away, he couldn’t help but notice the way the puncture wounds on Shin were all in pairs, all equally spaced and mostly centered on the neck. 

Then there was the way she’d just referred to them as humans, as though she was something else. The explanation his brain supplied was not one he liked, not something he could accept as being real.

“From your expression I think you’re starting to work it out, you just don’t want to accept it. Would it help if I told you your brother’s blood is delicious?” Carla snapped his head back to her and she drew back her top lip, revealing sharp white fangs.

“That’s not possible.” This had to be a dream, some nightmare induced by his sickness or the drugs used to treat it, even as his senses screamed at him that the creature above him was something out of fiction.

“Would you care for some proof? Normally a simple bite is effective enough but-“ she sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose in distaste “- I can smell the sickness on you. I’m surprised my father would even think to send me any sort diseased prey, let alone someone like you. I can’t tell what it is exactly but from the stink of it I’m sure it’s serious. A shame, you’re very pretty, for a human, and I’m fond of pretty things.”

Carla spluttered as heat flooded his cheeks, never in all his life had been spoken about in such a crude manner, as though he were nothing more than a slice of meat. The mention of his illness stung too, even if it were all that spared him from being preyed upon by the supposed vampire before him.

“I suppose a demonstration of my strength might suffice.” The force pressing against his back increased sharply and Carla hissed through his teeth at the pain. “Is this enough or should I keep going until I crack a rib? In your condition I’m really not sure how much you can take.” Her expression was positively wicked.

“Stop this,” Carla wheezed, struggling to draw enough air into his lungs. His body was weak enough without this sort of abuse, he didn’t dare to think what might happen if she did worse.

“I think that request is missing something, do you not know how to ask for something politely?”

Damn it, he shouldn’t be treated like this, let alone yielding to it, but his chest burned and he could feel another coughing fit on the horizon. As much as he wanted to hold his head high, he was in no condition to do so. “Please,” he rasped, grateful that at least Shin wasn’t conscious to witness this.

The foot on his back vanished and if he had enough air, Carla would have sighed in relief. “There, that wasn’t so hard was it?”

Seiren gazed down at him, eyes devoid of any sort of empathy as he took rasping breaths interrupted by spluttering coughs.

“What is it you intend to do with us?” His voice wasn’t as strong as he would have liked but at least he was able to get the words out.

“I would have thought it was obvious,” Seiren said, glancing at Shin. “But if you really need me to spell it out for you, you’ll be staying here to provide me with food and entertainment.”

“You won’t get away with keeping us here against our wishes.” Carla got to his feet, trying to retain some semblance of dignity.

“Oh really? And who’s going to come looking for you? The only humans sent here are the ones with nowhere else left to go and no one to miss them. I find it very unlikely that you’re an exception.” The words made his skin crawl.

“You mean other people have been sent here before us?” Carla thought about how empty the house was and his gut to turned to lead with the implications of their fates.

“Not for a while, I’ll admit, but yes. As for what happened to them, well, all you need to know is that you and your brother are the only living mortals here.”

Carla instinctively took a step back in horror. He needed to get out of there, now, but his chances of escape seemed low. Even if he still had the strength needed to carry his unconscious brother, he would have to contend with the vampire standing between him and the door to the room. 

“I tell you what, I’ll make you an offer. I have no interest in drinking from a sick human so you’re really not of that much use to me. Your brother on the other hand…” Seiren walked over to Shin and ran a hand over his chest.

“This is my offer Tsukinami Carla, I’ll let you leave this house, with transport to a nearby village and enough money that it’ll make whatever fortune you once possessed seem like a pittance but, in exchange, your dear little baby brother will be trapped here with me, left with the knowledge that you chose to abandon him. And should you get it into your head that you could come back here and save him, well, you’ll find that all memories relating to the location of this house become rather difficult to recall.”

She gave him a wicked smile that showed off her fangs. “What do you think? Freedom and your fortune restored for however long you have left, or sacrificing it all just so that darling Shin here doesn’t have to endure me alone?”

Carla’s mouth went dry. It had to be a trap, there was no question of it. No matter how tempting the idea of regaining their status and leaving this wretched place behind may be. But not only that, even if Seiren’s offer were genuine, he couldn’t abandon his only brother to this fate, to spend the rest of his days with a monster. They’d find a real way out of this, together.

He fixed her with the steeliest glare he could muster. “No amount of money is worth Shin’s life. When we leave here, it will be together.”

Seiren looked at him for a moment, scrutinizing, and then burst into laughter. “Aw Shin,” she said, taking hold of his chin and tilting his head towards her. “Did you hear that? It seems like your big brother really cares about you. How precious… and stupid.”

She let go of Shin and his head slumped down once more, still fully unconscious. “You’d really trade the offer of being a free man just so that you and your brother can share in your misery? It’s so disgustingly sentimental I think I might vomit. Alright then Carla, let’s see how far your love for your brother goes, shall we?”

She slipped a hand beneath her skirt and withdrew a small, sharp dagger. Before Carla could react, it was pointed at Shin’s neck. “Now, you’re going to follow my orders to the letter, or else I’m going to slit his throat. Although,” she trailed the edge of the blade against his skin, “I think I’ll have some fun cutting him open first.”

Digging his nails into his palms, Carla assessed the distance between himself and Seiren. Even if he were in good health, there was no way he’d be able to reach her before she’d been able to do some damage with the dagger. And what would he do once he reached her anyway? She would have no difficulty fending him off with that hideous strength, as much as he hated to admit it to himself. No, he was left with little choice but to submit and it made his stomach curdle.

“Hmm, what should I have you do first, I wonder? Ah, I know, I think I’ll have you kneel for me. I get the impression that you’re not used to lowering yourself before anyone so I think you’d better start getting used to it.” Her expression was positively viscous.

Carla glanced at the plush carpet beneath his feet and then back towards Shin. He had to do this, no matter how much it rankled with him.

Gritting his teeth, Carla sank to one knee and then lowered himself so that he was kneeling, glaring hatefully at the woman before him all the while.

“Now, normally I’d have you kiss my feet to demonstrate how utterly beneath me you are but I don’t particularly care to get your saliva on my shoes, so I think I’ll have you lick the floor instead.”

Even with everything she’d already done, for a moment Carla thought that she couldn’t possibly be serious. There was no way he could lower himself to doing something so base.

“I’d suggest you do it quickly, before I start to get bored. Or-“ she pressed down with the knife and drew it slowly across Shin’s skin, leaving a thin gash behind “-have you decided your brother’s life isn’t worth your pride?”

The sight of Shin’s blood was enough to get Carla to force his head to the floor, silently spitting every curse he knew. One day, somehow, he would make her pay for this.

He ran his tongue over his lips, bracing himself for the shame of it.

A knock sounded on the door and irritation flashed across Seiren’s features, while Carla lifted his head, relief surging in his chest at the interruption.

“What is it?” She snapped.

“A letter has arrived for you mistress Seiren.” A voice came from the other side of the door, soft and male.

The vampire let out an exaggerated sigh. “Can’t this wait? It’s been a while since I’ve had guests and-“ she locked eyes with Carla “-we were just getting to the good part.”

“It’s from the King himself, mistress.” The man, who Carla presumed must be some sort of servant, replied.

“Very well, leave it in my room; I shall be there in a moment.” The dagger became a blur of silver, arcing towards Shin’s arm before Carla had time to react and he felt his heart stop. A second later, Shin’s body fell to one side, one arm now hanging down. Mercifully, it seemed she had only cut the rope tying Shin to the bed,

“I trust you can now get your brother down by yourself,” Seiren said, turning to make her exit. “I’d advise you not to try to make a run for it, though I doubt you could get very far, given your condition and the fact I dislocated Shin’s shoulder earlier. If you stay put like a good boy then I’ll send someone to fix it soon but if not-“ she paused at the door, turning to give him a truly terrifying smile “-then I might just be in a poor enough mood to cut his whole arm off. Until later, Tsukinami Carla.”

The door closed behind her with a soft thud and Carla felt the tension in his muscles loosen a fraction. He looked down at his own shaking hands with a sense of disgust. To be forced into such a low position by someone like Seiren was beyond humiliating, even if no one else had witnessed it.

Looking back up at Shin, Carla felt his stomach churning, along with a pang of guilt. He should have taken over the family business the moment he noticed the unwise decisions his father had made. Even failing that, he should have stopped him from fleeing with the remains of their fortune.

And now, that lack of action had stranded them here, in a mansion with a monster.

Carla had thought there was nothing else he stood to lose.

He’d been wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> If this story has a moral, it’s that Karlheinz should not be trusted in any universe.


End file.
